There are plenty of year 2000 plans afoot at The Brunel pub in the busy centre of Saltash. Landlady Sheila Lennox-Boyd who, on January 7 had run the business for 12 years, is aiming to open up 11 en suite bedrooms in the building.
She is also planning to give the pub a stylish, but traditional, new look throughout - incorporating a restaurant which will reflect a Victorian feel, to blend in with the theme of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who lived from l806 to l859 and during those years honed his engineering skills to such a degree that he was able to design the unique Royal Albert Bridge which spans the Tamar.
Sheila heard last Wednesday that finalisation for a scheme she has had in place for the past four years, had come through. The pub is a leased property and is owned by Scottish and Newcastle, who had to give approval to the extensive and impressive scheme. During those years there was a series of owners, until they took over.
It is hoped that the redecorated and redeveloped bars, and new restaurant, will be open in June, to co-incide with Sheila's birthday on June 16, and the England v Portugal football match in Euro 2000, which will be screened to watching soccer fanatics in The Brunel. The England v Scotland games produced much enthusiasm there, together with gentle jesting of two Scots regulars - Bob Blair, who moved to Saltash after marrying a local girl, and 76-year-old Jock Scott of St Germans who travels to The Brunel most days by train.
Sheila, who runs the pub with great backing from husband Ben, children Alan, Mary and Henry, manageress Wendy Tennant and willing staff, hopes the bedrooms (with one bedroom catering specifically for the disabled) will be available from August/September. The extensive alterations will include a wine bar section where the cellar now is, the creation of a new cellar and toilets/disabled toilets, a larger kitchen area, lighter wood in the bars, air conditioning, impressive new decor and a smart new exterior. The restaurant will be designed to be welcoming and relaxing, but also in keeping with the pub's Victorian/engineering theme - so apt with Brunel's bridge in full view from the pub's entrance.
Updated
Sheila and her family are no strangers to successfully modernising inns. They also run The Eliot Arms at St Germans and The Ploughboy in Saltash, which has been updated since they took it over and which now serves over l,000 meals a week, due to the expertise of chefs Micky Nowell, his son John Nowell and Kevin Nightingale, who will also be helping out when The Brunel's new restaurant is up and running. Until that time The Brunel will be serving mouth-watering snacks, such as jacket potatoes and an array of sandwiches, but will be scaling down its food operations until the new look bars/restaurant are complete in the early summer.
The Brunel, once the centre of archaeological excavations, was called The Commercial earlier this century. It was at that time that one of its regular customers - Betty Marsh (nee Hamley) - started working there as a barmaid, aged l6. Betty was still pulling pints there when war was declared. Last Wednesday lunchtime she was visiting her former workplace with her niece, Mary Clarke. Together they had walked the hill from the Waterside to shop, and to take some Brunel refreshments. Mary has known Sheila for some years, and so always feels especially welcome inside the pub.
Also enjoying the atmosphere were Mel Brooks and Louise Temlett, both of Plymouth. Mel was on holiday, but works in Saltash, and often pops along to The Brunel at lunchtimes, and for a good Saturday night out, while Louise makes it a place to visit when she is in Saltash having a hair cut.
John Gilbert regularly visited The Brunel in lunchtimes when working, but has continued the habit now he has retired. He walked into the bar some years ago, and discovered he knew the then manager. After that it became a regular, always friendly, place to visit for a beer or two, and to read the paper.
Frequent visitor
Other lunchtime regulars include caretaker Kevin McCann, and a Plymouth resident who always brings his King Charles cross dog, Samantha with him. Samantha is such a frequent visitor that she knows where the kitchen is, and is often handed the odd scrap or to to keep her happy. In fact so contented is she in such surroundings that she lies under the seats most of the time, completely out of sight.
The pub has four women's darts teams, two mixed darts teams, three men's darts teams, two euchre teams, a pool team and premier Superleague teams, so is always very busy. The standard of their lady darts players, especially, is extremely high.
Being handily situated in the centre of town the pub attracts customers of a huge age range. During the morning many senior citizens call in for a cup of coffee or tea, and at lunchtimes office workers make it a favourite venue. Then, in the evening, a younger element are found within its bars, enjoying the entertainment often provided at weekends, and using it as an ideal place to meet with their friends.
Since the bridge works began Sheila has been granted a later licence on Saturdays which she feels has been very successful, and which she would like to see continue if possible. She has also recently celebrated her llth Christmas and New Year in the pub, which were both enjoyed with great gusto by all. Despite having to find extra wages for the staff on Millennium Eve she said it was well, well worth it, and there was laughter all the way.